Improvement in harvesters



W. A! KIRBY.

HARVBSTBR.

Patented May 15, 1860 11 van 2 0 'r.

WILLIAM A. KIRBY, or

PATENT OFFICE.

BUFFA no, N vv YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

Spdcitieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 28,284], dated Slay 15, left).

T0. all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. KIRBY, of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State ofNew' York, have invented certain new and useful l'mprovcmentsin Grain and Grass Harvesters; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure i represents a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 represents a'crosssectio'n through the frame, leaving a portion of the frame and gearing in elevation. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 represent details of the machine, which will be specially referred to.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the separate figures,denote like parts of the machine in all of them.

In its general characteristics this machine is very much like those covered by patents heretofore granted to me; but I have made important improvements upon my former invention, which I propose to embrace in this application, and which I shall more particularly refer to without going into a formal description of the whole machine, as my present invention relates to the details of theunachinc.

To enable others skilled in the art to make auduse my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

A represents the main driving and supporting wheel, which turns on a journal, a, permanently attached to the segment-plate B. This segment-plate has a hub upon it, through which the shaft b passes, and so that said plate may freely move on said shaft. On one end of this shaft-there is a pinion, 0, which, when thrown up toward the cogged rim 0 on the main wheel A by the clutch-lever 01, receives motion therefrom and communicates it to said shaft 1). The

shaft 1) is supported by and turns in suitable boxes arranged on the triangular main. frame 1) I) l)", which is all cast in one piece. The shaft It carries a bevel'gear wheel, E, which turns a ln-vel pinion', e, on the forward end of a shaft, and to the rear end of this shaftf there is aflixed a crank-wheel, F, to which the cutter-bar and cutters are connected by a pitman, g.

G is a curved piece permanently affixed to the main frame, and serves both as a guide for the movement of the segment; B, asalso a adjustable rake'rs sea-t, L, which can be moved and fastened at. any one of the points 4 5 6, &c., to make the weight of the rakcr aid in balancing the machine. This lever-piece Jis also supported by rods 1, that extend from itdown to the segment-plate on one side of the wheel and tothejournal a on the other side of it, or to the stirrup on said journal.

m is the stirrup for the right loot of the ralrer.

To two projecting pieces, a 0, in rear of the main frame is attached by screws or otherwise the finger-bar Mmn which the guardsp, through which the cutters q \-'1orate,are atiixed. This tingerbar is made of angle-iron, and has upon its outer end a false shoe, N, to which the divider'or outer shoe, 0, is attached, as will be hereinafter explained, so as to make it easily removed when the machine is to be converted from a mowerto a reaper.

r is a lever pivoted toa part of the rigid frame at s. This lever is connected to a crank, i by a rod, 11, and the cranlct is fastened to or a part of arod, '0, which lies in the angle of the finger-beam M, and supported so as to freely rock thereon. This rod has upon its outer end a wheel or roller, P, so arranged as that the turning of said rod will convert the wheel 1 into a lifting-wheel to raise up the outer end of the finger-beam or to let it down entirely onto the ground.

w is a dog, which can slide on the lever r,

and to this dog is connected a rod, m, that extends along the under side of the lever to or near its handle, so that when thc operator wants to'raise or low r t-he cutters or fingerbeam he can clutch both the lever r and the rod 00 with one hand. By drawing first upon the rod .1: the dog to is drawn out of the ratchet 3 (which is a permanent fixture,) and then by spring 2 will throw the dog intothe ratchet,

and there hold the lever fixed, and of coursethe parts attached to it, and this constitutes one of my improvements.

The crank-wheel F is furnished with a series of holes, 9 10 11 12 13 14, through either'ot' which the wrist-pin on the end of the pit-man may pass'to change the motion or speed of the cutters, which is very necessary, according to the'condition of the grain or grass to be out, said holes being nearer to or farther from the center of the crank-wheel, and the change being almost instantly effected.

In many mowing-machines there have been devices for clearing away a track for the machine on its return swath. Instead of moving away the grass for this purpose when mowing, form that part 1) of my main frame into .a runner form-that is, curved up in front and low at its rear--so thatits front will mount up or over the' cut grass, and its rear mash or crush it down flat, and thus I flatten down the cut grass, so as to prevent it from raising up the cutters and to obviate the necessity of an open space at that point;

0n the outer end of the finger-beam-is fastened the false shoe N, it having an "opening through or under it, through which the rod 1; can pass, as also suitable openings for the cutter-bar and outside cutter to vibrate in, and

v the front of this false shoe is run out to a point.

The real shoe 0 is so formedas to lie snugly up against this false shoe, and has a kind of;

'main frame. The form of that part of theframe D(,'it will be perceived, obviates all necessity of. a track-clearer or of an open space, and by crushing down the cut grass the-cutter-bar will not be raised up by it, and I thus by'crushing down the grass avoid a difli'culty and dispcnsewith the track-clearer heretofore provided for overcoming that difticulty.

Having thus fully described the nature and object of my invention, what I claim, therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,-

In combination with the rod and liftingwheeh 'the lever and rod m, with their attachments, substantially as described, for the purpose of raising, lowering, and holding the cutters at different heights, as set forth.

WM. A. Kin-BY.

Witnesses A. B. STOUGHTON, v

'lnos. H; UPPERMAN}.

A A 4. L. 

